In a previous post we discussed Hausa traditional architecture and its decorative facades, their meaning and the socio-economic implications they traditionally held.

While wall motifs often held a deeper meaning than their decorative aspect, most homeowners didn’t know what that meaning was. Rather, for them, the symbol lied in the actual existence of the motifs on their wall.

Branching out to the "developing world" (especially to Africa) as a new source of architectural work seems to be the new thing for Western (especially European) architects these days. It is becoming increasingly common to come across competitions, exhibits, books and even university courses on the subject. It is a difficult and daunting undertaking that can be exciting, scary, immensely rewarding, while being strife with pitfalls.

As architects, we have been learning to do more with less since the last economic downturn. This proves very difficult as through the years, creativity in architecture has too often been synonymous with the technically heroic, the strange, or the purely sculptural... and too often, the expensive. These projects push the technological envelop, and can be quite astonishing and awe-inspiring, which is great. But surely, architecture